The Porn Problem
If you're a human, specifically if you are college-aged, then most likely you have dealt with lust, porn, sex and/or masturbation. These days, it's just reality. On the other side, in chuch we hear messages about "purity rings" and "saving sex for marriage" and "don't look at porn." Now, while those messages are spoken with the best of intentions, they are creating a problem. Because there you sit in church, being told not to do something that you have already done. Worse yet, way too often you are not being given any resources to deal with the situation. And so, week after week, you feel more guilt and shame, and less hope. So what do you do? The obvious answer! Quit going to church! Because then at least you don't have to be reminded of your guilt. And yes, now you feel less guilty, but nothing has been done about the problem, and more than likely you will increase your activities in areas outside of God's plan for you, making it even harder to deal with in the future. So, we decided at Karios to try and do something about this. First - we acknowledged and addressed the issue. Let's just be real and call it what it is. EVERYONE is being affected by porn. Either you are caught in the trap, or the very fortunate tiny minority slipped through the trap, but are now being affected by a culture where everyone else is looking at it, becoming more entrapped by it, and treating others worse as porn becomes more of a "norm" in their lives. And girls - we are not leaving you out! Yes, more and more this is becoming as much a girl problem as it is a guy problem. Second - we realized that we need to do more than just talk about this. We need some tools to help us in the pursuit of freedom. The most important thing we can offer you is to remind you that in Christ, you have a new identity. While "Beloved" is probably the most obvious identity, God has many different ones to give you. And if you choose to live in the identity that He offers, you will not need porn to fufill the identity you have created for yourself. On top of that, we realized that getting porn free is a process that works best with accountabillity and community. It's still going to be an epic battle, but at least now we can tell you that the odds are in your favor. You now have the Holy Spirit, friends, and great resources on your side to walk you into freedom. Decide today that your future self will be thanking you endlessly, and start the journey to freedom today! First thing you need is to be reminded of your identity! Then, check out the notes for the series here. Finally, the series was videotaped! So go ahead and watch the lessons. Lastly, check with Wade or Dara if you want to be in a group to receive more of the resources we have to help you out of this trap. Remember - it's worth it! Aaron Nader has taught us through this series on two different occasions, Summer 2012 and Fall 2014.